I just IM’ed with my sister in the Galapagos!
I was sitting here trying to figure out how to post something sensible here about North Korea’s announcement that they have nuclear weapons and are suspending nuclear talks. But it’s all just so big and depressing, with our wackos arguing with their wackos, that I was pretty well lost and ready to give up. (My one suggestion would be to ensure that one’s reading includes some non-U.S. press.)
I was, however, saved by my sister, who IM’ed me all the way from the Galapagos islands!
Last year she did 3.5 months of field work there, and she left last Saturday for another two months there this spring. (Why doesn’t my job send me to incredibly cool places like that :-)?) She’d been trying to IM me for a day or two, but I was always off teaching a class or some such, but today we hooked up and chatted for 10 or 15 minutes. It was very cool.
The amazing thing (to me, at least) is the level of internet access they have there. When she went last year we all assumed that she’d be pretty much out of touch electronically, but she in fact had regular access to the Net everywhere except on the uninhabited island of Espanola. This included her time on Isabela, where the village of Puero Villamil had sand streets (see photo) and an internet cafe.
Ain’t life amazing?
